Well blowout preventer



y 0 w. E. HASLAM 2,506,359

' WELL BLOWOUT PREVENTER Filed larch l, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ifillzamliifi'malam INVENTOR @ba. BY 1 I;

ATTORNEYS May 2, 1950 w. E.: HASLAM 2,506,359

ELL BLOWOUT PREvENTm Filed March 1, 1946 'I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zflmm Ill M mlz'amlmslan INVENTOR l fyng.

7 BY W ATTORNEYS Patented May 2, 1950 2,506,359 WELL BLOWOUT ranvnn'rnn William E. Hasiam, Burbank, CaiiL, assignor of forty-nine per cent Beach, Calif.

to Karl M. Brenner, Long Application March 1, 1946, Serial-No. 651,138

1 Claim. (CI. ass-2s) My present invention relates to an improvement in well blowout preventers and more particularly to a hydraulic pressure control apparatus adapted to be placed in operation at the first v hose.

sign of high pressure in the well.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved hydraulically actuated apparatus for controlling a well, whereby the bore of the well may be sealed when high pressures are encountered. I

A particular object 01' the invention is to provide an'improved apparatus for controlling a well which is so constructed that the bore of the well may be packed oil when a pipe or tool is extending therethrough in order to prevent blow-outs 1 of said well due to high pressures. V

The result of the use of said apparatus will be that the well may be kept under control under all operating conditions; the apparatus being ac tuated by hydraulic means whereby operation thereof may be quickly and easily accomplished.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved well control apparatus which includes a hydraulically. operated blow-out preventer for packing oif around a pipe or tool extending through the well bore.

The blow-out preventer consists of an inflatable, flexible member having an axial bore of sufflcient diameter to accommodate drill pipe and well tools and having a common inlet and outlet for admittin and discharging fluid under pressure, whereby the member may be expanded into sealing engagement with the pipe or tools to pack oif the bore of the blow-out preventer whenever there is a possibility of a blow-out; said member permitting normal operations when in its normal deflated position.

The blow-out preventer consists of a tubular member made of rubber, or other resilient material, coiled helically within the bore of a cylindrical housing and being arranged to be inflated so as to pack ofi around the pipe or tool extending through said bore; the helical arrangement of the member permitting a slight leakage of pressure upwardly through the spiral aperture for lubrication and pressure indication purposes.

In the drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention according to the best mode I have thus far devised but it will be understood that changes and alterations may be made in the exempliiied structure within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

preventer in position to operate.

Fi ure 1 is an assembly view of the blow-out Figure 2 is a sectional view of the three-way valve in position to introduce pressure into the Figure 3 is a sectional view of the three-way valve in position to hold pressure within the hose. Figure 4 is a sectional view 01' the three-way galve in position to discharge pressure from the ose.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the blow-out preventer showing the hose inflated against the drill pipe and the rupture preventing paddles in efiect.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the housing showing the hose expanded against the drill pipe and rupture paddles in eflfect.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view 01' the housing showing the blow-out hose deflated and in receded position from the pipe.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the hose partially broken away.

Figure 9 is anenlarged detail view of a section of the top part of the housin with the rupture preventing paddles in position. 7

Figure 10 is also an enlarged detail view of the paddles taken through the top part of the housing at right angles to the cutting plane of Figure 9, in which the paddle is viewed from the right of Figure 9.

Referring now to the assembly view, the usual drill pipe is shown at 5 and surrounded by the casing nipple 8. On the side of the casing nipple I have shown a normal'or usual main closure gate 9 through which the oil and gases pass.

Below the main closure gate I have illustrated a conventional landing head III for the casing 6 supported upon the floor ii of the cellar.

Above the casing nipple 8 I mount a flange 2 supporting the blow-out preventer barrel or housing I.

The usual derrick floor 1 carries the rotary table 6.

Within the housing I is located the blow-out preventer comprising preferably a rubber hose l8 spirally wound within drill pipe from bottom to top. This rubber hose in deflated condition forms a helical aperture within the housing through which a slight leakage of pressure is permitted.

Exteriorly of the housing I I utilize an attaching flangel9 connecting within the housing with the hose, and exteriorly the flange connects with the pipe 311 leading to the three-way valve 3. A pressure discharge pipe line 3b permits the the housing around the on bolts 16,- and that extending around each pivotal connection is a spring I! one end of which engages under the inclined flange formed on the top part of the housing and against which the paddle is swung upwardly in Figure 9, the other end of the spring being passed around the pivotal connection and being in engagement with a side lug formed on the medial portion of the paddle. Thus, the tendency of the spring is to force the paddle ll normally downwardly away from said flange of the housing, the paddle being swung upwardly against said flange upon inflation of the hose.

The design of the invention is such that it is possible to raise, lower or rotate drill pipe not only when the blowout preventer is in a;,deflated condition, but also when it is inflated or' expanded by hydraulic pressure, so as to control pressure from within the well. This feature is very important in well drilling operations.

It will be noted, also, that the area of contact between the well blowout preventer and the drill pipe or other surface with which it is engaged when expanded, is greatly increased over the known devices. In other words, a more effective seal against internal pressure is obtained by increasing the area of contact where a blowout might occur. This feature also permits less pressure within the preventer than would otherwise be necessary. For example, tests have shown that it is possible to pack of! or control pressure within the well up to 6,000 pounds with a pressure within the blowout preventer of only 1,500 pounds, whereas with conventional means a pressure within the blowout preventer of up to 10,000 ounds would be required to accomplish the same thing.

Another advantage resides in the fact that the blowout preventer is coiled in the same direction in which the drill pipe turns. Thus, when the blowout preventer is being used, the motion of the drill pipe tends to tighten and maintain the pressure of the blowout preventer rather than to roll down and loosen the bearing surfaces, as occurs in other devices. This feature also contributes to the ability of the device to control a'soaaee pressures within the well with a comparatively low pressure within the blowout preventer.

From the above description of the parts of my invention it should be apparent that when high pressure within-the well is indicated, the operator will turn the valve 3 to position illustrated in Figure 2 whereupon the hose will be inflated and will completely seal 01! the space within the housing surrounding the .drillpipe.

When the danger is past the valve will be turned from the position of Figure 3 to the position of Figure 4 releasing the pressure from the hose and deflating it. I

By the utilization of my invention. serious dangers and wasteful blow-outs will be prevented, and the device simple in construction and durable may be attached to any existing type of well construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a blow-out preventer for a drilled well, a housing adapted to surround the drill pipe of said well, the upper end of the housing being flanged inwardly and inclined downwardly toward the pipe, a flexible hose wound spirally around the pipe and having its upper end closed, the lower end of the hose being open. means anchoring the lower end immovably to the lower end of the housing, said lower end constituting a common inlet and outlet, paddles pivotally connected to the upper end of the housing, springs on the paddles yieldably pressing the paddles against the hose, said paddles underlying the inclined flange of the housing and overlying the hose, whereby on inflation of the hose said paddies will prevent rupture thereof, said flange being adapted to provide a stop for the paddles whereby to relieve the pivoted connections of the paddles of strain imposed thereon.

WILLIAM E. IIASLAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 6,974 Moat Dec. 25, 1849 58,469 Parker Oct. 2, 1866 943,023 Johnson Dec. 14, 1909 1,586,928 Townsend June 1, 1926 2,038,140 Stone Apr. 21, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,012 Great Britain of 1915 192,867 Great Britain of 1923 

